Heard a rumor that the area of Roger Whitall's camp in Metetsi II was taken over by Mugabi's thugs. Tell me it ain't so

There go all the sable...

This is very interesting,there are a number of Zim PHs that know what has happened in Matetsi 2. There seems to be a questionable silence on this topic, wonder why?

I asked the same question while in Vic Falls a month ago. What the heck do I know, but here goes my understanding:

It seems that four different groups claim the rights. Two well know safari companies, the longtime license holder who was forceably removed last year (and is litigating) and the gov't supported upsurper who sublet it (and was paid therefor) to the two safari companies "exclusively". In other words, there are three screwed parties with different levels of their own hot stove touching.

Karibou Africa.

I am leaving for Zim this Sunday and will be heading for Unit 1. We are involved in all the bookings for Unit 1. I don't' want to give details but I suspect this may be true.
I will try to post from Vic Falls next week with any updates.

quote:

Matetsi 2

Found this online......
Widow, Parks locked in bitter row over safari
KHANYILE MLOTSHWA | 2011-03-23 10:43:00

A Victoria Falls widow, Jane Dube, is locked in a bitter row with the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority over a ranch and hunting concessions at Matetsi Safari Area Unit 2 near Pandamatenga border post, which she alleges were awarded to other bidders behind her back.
Dube, former wife of Guyu Safaris director Innocent Dube, says her problems started in 2004 when the Parks authority allegedly corruptly awarded the ranch to some bidders.

However, the Parks authority has denied that there was corruption and malpractice in the handling of the Matetsi Unit 2 Safari.

Dube said they had always had a good working relationship with the authority but ran into problems when Parks advertised their concession in the press.

“It was in June 2004 when former Parks director-general Morris Mtsambiwa wrote to advise the directors of Guyu Safaris that they had been awarded additional two years to continue operations at Matetsi Safari Area Unit 2 after December 31, 2008.

“This extension from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010 was in recognition of the good work and investments they (Matetsi Safari Area Unit 2 owners) had put in the concession area,” she said.

Dube said she was, however, shocked that contrary to that arrangement, the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority in August 2008, put up a notice to auction Matetsi Area Unit 2 hunting rights to the public.

“It was then that we approached the High Court to interdict and stop the auction. The auction went ahead despite the interdict. However, the interim and final order sought were both granted in our favour and the purported auction was declared ‘null and void’,” she said.

Dube said the Parks authority lodged a delayed Supreme Court appeal against the High Court judgment and lost the appeal.

She said: “Out of (Parks’) defiance and utter disregard of all orders by the courts, Guyu Safaris then sought a certificate of contempt on both the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and (Natural Resource Management) minister Francis Nhema in 2009.

“At this juncture that is when director-general Mtsambiwa instructed by the minister (Nhema), appealed for an out-of-court settlement.”

On Tuesday, Parks spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo, however, denied any violation of their agreement with Dube.

“The authority did not at all violate the out-of-court settlement that it reached with Dube. If anything, it has been slow in implementing it. Dube’s lease agreement with the authority expired in 2008, but because she had paid two years in advance she was allowed to operate until December 2010 following an out-of-court settlement . . . Dube agreed to be forcibly removed if she did not do so after the expiry of the extended lease, that is at the end of December 2010,” she said.

Washaya-Moyo said it was the authority’s policy that if a lease agreement expired it would be auctioned and given to a successful bidder.

“This was and is the case with Matetsi Unit 2 Safari. The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority respects government policy and all operations are informed by government policy. In the meantime we expect Dube to respect the law and move out of the property,” she said.

But Dube said for the sake of saving any further loss in hunting revenue, Guyu Safaris signed the document under duress in April 2009.

Don't guess the Madame General's wife has this problem with six....

I have just returned from a few weeks hunting Unit 1 with clients. No hunts are currently being allowed in Unit 2. We had a PH with two clients move over to Unit 1 in order to complete a hunt that was scheduled to take place there. There is also an issue regarding Unit 4 as we had another PH with a client come over to Unit 1 as they were not allowed to proceed with the hunt on Unit 4.

unit 2 and unit 4 were 'alocated' without proper procedure as the first wave of 'indiginisation' in the 1980's. Neigther Dube nore Mike chizvia (unit 4) ever paid parks what they owed. Everytime we tried to get any money out of victoria falls hunters - chidziva appealed to the president and we (parks) were over ruled. Dube was better- he at least paid the trophy fees if not a concession fee. When dube died, his widow was quick to pay the current fees so as to retain the concession- but parks needed the money from the auction and after 20 years of easy riding they figured Dube and chidziva could afford to bid on an open aution.

The man who won the auction for Unit 2 was murdered three weeks ago in Harare...so that takes one player out of contention

Unit 4 (mike Chidziva and vic falls hunters) has always just been a briefcase operation who have sub let - to OoA and anybody else that could be used. Parks totally blocked the shipments of trophies from Unit 4 in 2007 to try and get the trophy fees at least out of chidziva...the impase was still ongoing last time I asked.

Sounds like a good place to avoid.